Thursday, March 1, 2007

Activists list threatened bird habitats in U.S.

Hawaii ranks worst; half of last native species there are on protected listThe tropical chain of Hawaiian islands isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was home to about 140 native breeding species and subspecies before the arrival of humans in the archipelago. More than half of the bird species are now extinct. And among the 71 remaining Hawaiian birds, 30 are listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, according to the state's Department of Natural Resources' Web site.

The threat to birds' habitat in Hawaii — from avian diseases, invasive plants and invasive species such as cats — continues despite the efforts of government agencies and private organizations like the San Diego Zoo, the report said.